a.d. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1590. 



vince there is a certain principal city which is called the 

 Metropolitane thereof, wherein the chief magistrates have 

 their place of residence, as the principal citie by me last 

 mentioned, which is the head of the whole province 

 called Coantum. The number of the greater cities 

 throughout the whole kingdom is more then 150, and 

 there is the same or rather a greater multitude of in- 

 feriour cities. Of walled townes not endued with the 

 privileges of cities there are mo then 11 20: the villages 

 & garrisons can scarce be numbred : over & besides the 

 which convents it is incredible what a number of countrie 

 farmes or granges there be : for it is not easie to find 

 any place desert or void of inhabitants in all that land. 



The Chinian Now in the sea, in rivers, & in barks there are such 



™ V h'h' ^ ' abundance of people, and of whole families inhabiting, 

 that even the Europaeans themselves doe greatly wonder 

 thereat : insomuch that some (albeit beyond measure) 

 have bene perswaded that there are as many people 

 dwelling upon the water as upon the land. Neither were 

 they induced so to thinke altogether without probabilitie : 

 for whereas the kingdom of China is in all parts thereof 

 interfused with commodious rivers, & in many places 

 consisteth of waters, barges & boats being every-where 

 very common, it might easily bee supposed, that the 

 number of watermen was equal unto the land-inhabitants. 

 Howbeit, that is to be understood by amplification, 

 whereas the cities do swarme so ful with citizens & 

 the countrie with peasants. 



Leo. The abundance of people which you tell us of 

 seemeth very strange : whereupon I conjecture the soile 



Hole some aire, to De fertile, the aire to be holesome, and the whole 



plenty 13 kingdom to be at peace. 



China. Michael. You have (friend Leo) ful judicially con- 



jectured those three : for they do all so excel, y l which 

 of the three in this kingdom be more excellent, it is 

 not easie to discerne. And hence it is that this common 

 opinion hath bene rife among the Portugals, namely, that 

 the kingdom of China was never visited with those three 



352 



